The The Old Basin drainage canalOld Basin drainage canal was excavated in the was excavated in the 1790s1790s. This . This shows the systems of drainage ditches and canals established by shows the systems of drainage ditches and canals established by 1829, leading to Bayou St. John.1829, leading to Bayou St. John.

Cross section through New Orleans in 1895. The Cross section through New Orleans in 1895. The Mississippi RiverMississippi Rivers natural levees form the highest s natural levees form the highest ground in New Orleans. ground in New Orleans. MetarieMetarie and and GentillyGentillyRidgesRidges are recent are recent distributarydistributary channels, lying about channels, lying about 3 to 6 feet above the adjacent ground. The earliest 3 to 6 feet above the adjacent ground. The earliest levees along Lake levees along Lake PonchartrainPonchartrain (far right) were (far right) were erected in the 1890s; then enlarged considerably in erected in the 1890s; then enlarged considerably in 19311931--32, when the concrete seawall was built 32, when the concrete seawall was built mile into Lake mile into Lake PonchartrainPonchartrain and backfilled with the and backfilled with the LakshoreLakshore LandfillLandfill. .

Many Canals were filled or Many Canals were filled or superseded by newer onessuperseded by newer ones

The The Old BasinOld Basin, or , or Old Carondelet CanalOld Carondelet Canal was was excavated for drainage and navigation (row boats), excavated for drainage and navigation (row boats), between the City and Lake between the City and Lake PonchartrainPonchartrain. It ended . It ended at Basin Street, and was at Basin Street, and was infilledinfilled in the in the 1920s1920s, when , when it became railroad tracks and Lafitte Avenue. it became railroad tracks and Lafitte Avenue.

The The New Basin CanalNew Basin Canal was excavated in the early was excavated in the early 1830s1830s in the American Sector, yellow fever killing in the American Sector, yellow fever killing 10,000 Irish immigrants. The New Orleans City 10,000 Irish immigrants. The New Orleans City Railroad paralleled this canal in post Civil War era.Railroad paralleled this canal in post Civil War era.

The The New Basin CanalNew Basin Canal cut through cut through MetarieMetarie Ridge; Ridge; causing flooding of the downtown area in causing flooding of the downtown area in 18711871. .

The portion south of The portion south of MetarieMetarie Ridge was filled in the Ridge was filled in the 1930s1930s; and the remainder in the ; and the remainder in the 1950s1950s, with the , with the PonchartrianPonchartrian ExpresswayExpressway replacing the old canal.replacing the old canal.

Drainage Canal ChronologyDrainage Canal Chronology The The Orleans CanalOrleans Canal was excavated in was excavated in 18331833 to to

convey water from Bayou convey water from Bayou MetarieMetarie. The . The Turnpike Road ran along the west side of this Turnpike Road ran along the west side of this canal.canal.

The The Upper Line/17Upper Line/17THTH St. CanalSt. Canal along the along the OrleansOrleans--Jefferson Parish boundary was Jefferson Parish boundary was excavated prior to excavated prior to 18491849 along the upper end along the upper end of todayof todays s 1717thth St Canal. St Canal. The lower portion was The lower portion was excavated in excavated in 18571857--5858, all the way to , all the way to BucktownBucktown, along Lake , along Lake PonchartrainPonchartrain

In In 18531853 the the Jefferson & Lake Jefferson & Lake PonchartrainPonchartrainRailroadRailroad was built along the Upper Line Canalwas built along the Upper Line Canal

The The 1878 1878 Hardee Hardee drainage drainage mapmap was was compiled compiled after a after a yellow fever yellow fever epidemic the epidemic the previous previous year, which year, which brought to brought to CityCitys s accumulated accumulated death toll to death toll to in excess of in excess of 100,000 100,000 people.people.

brackish water tidal influx zone around the brackish water tidal influx zone around the mouth of Bayou St. John, extending westward, mouth of Bayou St. John, extending westward, to the New Basin Canal.to the New Basin Canal.

The The Upper Protection CanalUpper Protection Canal was excavated was excavated around around 18571857--5858 out to Lake out to Lake PonchartrainPonchartrain. This . This became the became the 1717thth Street Canal Street Canal (the street was (the street was renamed Palmetto Avenue in 1894)renamed Palmetto Avenue in 1894)

By By 18631863 there were a series of eastthere were a series of east--west west feeder feeder canalscanals serving Bayou St. John from the west serving Bayou St. John from the west sideside

By By 18631863 there were a series of NNE trending there were a series of NNE trending drainage canals in St. Bernard Parishdrainage canals in St. Bernard Parish

All 36 miles of drainage canals in the Lakeview and All 36 miles of drainage canals in the Lakeview and GentillyGentillyareas are shown in 1878: areas are shown in 1878: 1717thth Street, New Basin, Orleans, Street, New Basin, Orleans, Bayou St. John, London, and the Lower Line Protection Bayou St. John, London, and the Lower Line Protection LeveeLevee..

Drainage Canal ChronologyDrainage Canal Chronology The The upper London Avenue Canalupper London Avenue Canal was was

constructed in the constructed in the 1860s1860s, north of Bayou , north of Bayou GentillyGentilly. A steam. A steam--powered draining powered draining machine near the intersection of London machine near the intersection of London and Pleasure Street dumped this water and Pleasure Street dumped this water into the cypress swamp near what is into the cypress swamp near what is now Dillard University, north of now Dillard University, north of GentillyGentillyRidge.Ridge.

The The lowerlower London Avenue CanalLondon Avenue Canal was was extended out to Lake extended out to Lake PonchartrainPonchartrainsometime between sometime between 18731873--7878

EARLY WARNINGSEARLY WARNINGS

In In 18711871, the New Orleans City Surveyor , the New Orleans City Surveyor W.H. BellW.H. Bell warned of the potential warned of the potential dangers posed by the big outfall dangers posed by the big outfall drainage canalsdrainage canals

He told city officials to place pumping He told city officials to place pumping stations on the lakeshore, otherwise stations on the lakeshore, otherwise heavy storms would result in water heavy storms would result in water backup within the canals, culminating backup within the canals, culminating in overflow into the cityin overflow into the city..

Drainage Commission Drainage Commission -- 18961896 The Louisiana legislature created a drainage The Louisiana legislature created a drainage

commission in commission in 18961896 to deal with drainage of to deal with drainage of New OrleansNew Orleans

This subsequently became the This subsequently became the New Orleans New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board Sewerage and Water Board inin 18991899..

By 1915 there were 70 miles of canals and By 1915 there were 70 miles of canals and three new pump stations in place. By 1926 the three new pump stations in place. By 1926 the system cost $27.5 millionsystem cost $27.5 million

Eventually, this system has expanded to 172 Eventually, this system has expanded to 172 miles of drainage canals, 90 miles of which are miles of drainage canals, 90 miles of which are covered.covered.

A. Baldwin Wood was a young S&WB engineer who designed the enormous screw pumps, 12 to 14 feet in diameter, which run on 25Hz electric power using 20 ft diameter dynamos. The City began by installing 11 Wood pumps in 1915 for a cost of $159K. These replaced the old steam powered paddle wheel pumps.

This 1920s drawing shows the arrangement of a Wood screw pump, which uses a powerful siphon action to lift water into the drainage canals, where it flows by gravity to Lake Ponchartrain. The Citys 21 pump stations can lift 47,000 csf of water. Prior to Katrina. it had only been overwhelmed on a few occasions, in 1978 and again, in1995.

New Orleans also employs vertical pumps with impellors to lift water from subterranean storm drains to the drainage canals.

In In 19151915 a powerful hurricane lifted the a powerful hurricane lifted the water level in Lake water level in Lake PonchartrainPonchartrain to 6 to 6 feet above mean gulf level.feet above mean gulf level.

The drainage canals were overtopped The drainage canals were overtopped and much of the city floodedand much of the city flooded

The CityThe Citys new pump system was s new pump system was overwhelmed when the power stations overwhelmed when the power stations were floodedwere flooded

275 people275 people were killed in the floodingwere killed in the flooding

RESPONSE TO 1915 and 1947 RESPONSE TO 1915 and 1947 OVERTOPPINGSOVERTOPPINGS

After the After the 1915 flood1915 flood, Sewerage and , Sewerage and Water Board General Superintendent Water Board General Superintendent George Earl ordered the levees along George Earl ordered the levees along the drainage canals to be raised.the drainage canals to be raised.

After several of these heightened After several of these heightened drainage canal levees were overtopped drainage canal levees were overtopped in in 19471947, the state, the states congressional s congressional delegation asked the federal delegation asked the federal government to assist in protecting the government to assist in protecting the citycity

FEDERAL INVOLVEMENTFEDERAL INVOLVEMENT Federal involvement in the drainage Federal involvement in the drainage

canals began in canals began in 19551955 with approval of with approval of the the Lake Lake PonchartrainPonchartrain and Vicinity and Vicinity Hurricane Protection ProjectHurricane Protection Project

Clash of cultures and goals between local Clash of cultures and goals between local levee districts, the S&WB, and the Corps levee districts, the S&WB, and the Corps of Engineers ensued. of Engineers ensued.

The Corps preferred gates at the mouths The Corps preferred gates at the mouths of the canals, but S&WB and many of the canals, but S&WB and many residents opposed, fearing they would residents opposed, fearing they would malfunction, inhibiting outflow of storm malfunction, inhibiting outflow of storm water. water.

40 YEAR BATTLE40 YEAR BATTLE The issue of how to address The issue of how to address

improvement of the drainage canals improvement of the drainage canals dragged on for almost 40 years.dragged on for almost 40 years.

In the meantime, intense residential In the meantime, intense residential development encroached upon the development encroached upon the drainage canals, beginning in drainage canals, beginning in 19551955..

Congress decided the issue in Congress decided the issue in 19921992, , ordering the Corps to go with ordering the Corps to go with heightened levees able to withstand a heightened levees able to withstand a Category 3 stormCategory 3 storm with 12 ft tides and with 12 ft tides and 130130--mph winds.mph winds.

A complex network of levees protected the city from flooding, but it quickly failed on August 29, 2005, when water levels rose.

Image from New York Times

Flood Walls were constructed on the crowns of drainage canals and the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal to accommodate functionality during high storm surges. The walls in the Lakeview and GentillyDistricts topped out at +14 ft above MGL.

This shows deflection of This shows deflection of the western 17the western 17thth Street Street Canal flood wall, Canal flood wall, opposite the August 29, opposite the August 29, 2005 break of the 2005 break of the eastern wall, near the eastern wall, near the Hammond Highway Hammond Highway Bridge. Bridge.

Meanwhile Meanwhile -- Land ReclamationLand Reclamation

In In 19241924 the state commissioned the Orleans the state commissioned the Orleans Levee Board to construct new levees along Levee Board to construct new levees along Lake Lake PonchartrainPonchartrain

In the In the 1930s1930s the levee board constructed a the levee board constructed a concrete stepped seawall oneconcrete stepped seawall one--half mile out half mile out into Lake into Lake PonchartrainPonchartrain, and backfilled this with , and backfilled this with 1,800 acres of 1,800 acres of made ground.made ground.

This development solidifies the Lakeshore area This development solidifies the Lakeshore area as a desirable bedroom communityas a desirable bedroom community with yacht with yacht harbors, parks, and pleasant summer breezes harbors, parks, and pleasant summer breezes

View of New Orleans from above Lake View of New Orleans from above Lake PonchartrainPonchartrain in in the mid 1950s, when the Lakeview and the mid 1950s, when the Lakeview and GentillyGentillyneighborhoods adjacent to the lake were under intense neighborhoods adjacent to the lake were under intense development.development.